Musical instrument.



30 stem control these openings.

40 -causing the key to be struck.-

'UNITED fsTnTns PATENT onerosi.,

PHILIP WUES'I, JR., OF WOYODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE BLASIUS PIANO COMPANY, OF WOODBUR'Y, NEW JERSEY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Application filed July 1, 1908. Serial No. 441,354.

ful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of,

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accoinpanvmg drawlngs, which form a part of lo this speciiication.

M*r invention relates to automatic playing mechanism, `and particularly to the valve mechanism which controls the operation of the neuinatie bellows motor for operating 15 the reys.

ASpecicaily, it relates, in this combination, vto a forni oi construction of valve-seat, which will prevent any leakage and at the saine time enable the valve to be properly 2o guided toits seat.

In this class of instruments, the valvebox is provided with two openings, in each of which is a valvefseat. These openings are in communication with thc pneumatic 25 bellows, and connect the bellows with the' atmosphere, so that the bellows is inllated, or connected with an exhaust in the inllated condition of the bellows, which causes it to be inflated. Two valves upon. a common The nieve- Inent of the valve is controlled by means of a diaphragm in communication with the air in the instrument. When air is admitted through pe'rforations in the paper to a point 35 below the diaphragm, the valve-stern is lifted, which seats the corresponding valve upon the inlet fort seat to the bellows and lifts the valve iroin the seat in the opening to the exhaust, thus.deilating the bellows,

There is provided a snrall opening'from the air inlet to the exhaust, so that when ythe solid paper covers the inlet, theair below the diaphragm exhausts and the atmospheric pressure 45 causes a reverse movement of the valves,-

seating one valve in the exhaust seat, and

moving' the other valve from the seat having A the opening leading to the atmosphere and 'the bellows is again inllatcd. It 1s essential,

50 if possible, that these seats and their relation to he valves shall be such that when the valv=l is seated upon its corresponding seat, thi rc shall be no leakage of air. Fun ther, it is very essential that the valve should $5 be guide' correctly to its cdrresponding seatV and that there shall be no cutting oi the valveby the seat. There flat disks, having a central orilice, are used, there are quite a vnumber of difficulties encountered. Among these are the following: The securing of the seat in place is likely to make the tace of the seat irregular; that is, a tendency to buckle, andfurther, the mouth oi the orifice being` an edge, is likely to cut the valve. Even if the central portion of the disk be counterf sunk, this will not prevent the remaining portion of the disk, where it is connected to the box, buckling, thereby tending to produce an irregular surface, and further, the cutting of the valve is not obviated.

In my improved construction the valven seat consists of a disk having a central oriiice. Around its outer surface, this disk is flanged, said flange projecting upwardiy from the side op )osite to that upon which the valve seats. n like manner, the wall of the central orifice is langed. Between these two liangcs is arranged a sector which makes a snug lit. This sector is provided with an ol'sct )ortion provided with a bearing for the valve-stein provided with orilices for the reception ci screws to secure it to the cover board. In like manner, the sector is provided with orifices which are caused to coincide with the orilices in the valve-seat. By this arrangement, the valve disk or seat is so stiifened that the danger of irregularity oi its lace is avoided, thus a seat isrobtained in which there is no leakage. This enables the range oivplaying keys or notes to be largely in creased.. Further, there is no danger ol" cutting the valve. Finally the valve bearing is arranged true with respect to the seat and, when worn, may be removed and replaced without discarding the disk.

I will now describe the embodiment oi iny invention illustrated in. the accompanying drawings, and then point out the invention in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a sectional view through valve-box and bellows'. Fig. 2 is a perspective View oi valve seat. Fig. 3 is a perspective view oi valve stem guide.

The valve disk or seat-'is Fig. 4 is a plan view showing valve stein guide centered on the valve seat disk.

The valvebox has two chambers, u and l. The chamber a communicates with an enn vhaust and the chamber b with the pneul rnatic c, through passage d.

f the top board.

e is the bottom board of the valve-box and chamber ii.

g a passage, whose connection vwith the air bellows of the instrument is controlled by lfn the top board is the i eraser langes preventing this; further, the flanges extending away from the seating surface of the disk, no cutting or abrading edge is presented to the valve. Finally, the valvestern guiding arrangement is placed, with thc roller and perforated paper, not shown. g

T iis passage g terminates )elow the diapliragin 7L, 'llhere is also a sinall opening 't oni passage to chamber e. Between chambers e and is an opening j, and in the upper portion oi' chamber an opening g to atmosphere. ln each ot' these openings is secured a disk Z having a central orice m. Around the outer edge of the disk is the n. integral therewith and around the orilice 'my is a corresponding flange z.

o is the valve-stem having the valves p thereon, one adapted to seat on one face of the disk in opening y' the othcron one tace oi" the disk in opening q. These valves are of sett niateriai and ci the ordinary construction. The stein. ci these valves is operated i i, I: i i. s r oy trie diaphragm li.. 'lhe disk is piovided with orifices 1G for securing the diskin position. es be seen one face of this disk liornis a lat seat for the valve while the other face is provided with llanges projecting upward around its orifice and around its outer edge.

admitted to )assage the dij aphragin is ii'ited, lifting the valve-stein and opening connection between chambers a and t, and hence connecting passage d with. the exhaust, and the bellows n'iotor'c deiiates, operating the corresoonding key in the well knowniinainter. 'l/hen air is cut oli' from passage g, theair therein exhausts through passage i and the diaphragm is relaxed, the

closing the opening bevalve-steni dro tween chambers L and b, and opening the opening between chamber l) and the atmosphere. As the previous deilation of the bel ows motor c has caused partial vacuum, the passage d being now connected with air, the air will in, inflating the bellows inotor c. Between the llanges '1i and e is placed the sector fr having integral therewith the projection or eiiset portion s, provided with an opening through which passes the valvesten'i .ai valve-stein to guide A,ne valve true to its seat. it is evident that the nearer the apach to a tiffht ciosure between the valve and seat, the nearer is the approach to einnil l', which acts as a guide to the certainty, concentric and in proper position, and, if the valve-stem bearing wears, may readily be replaced. Thus, by having a true surfaced seat, the valve can equally seat at all points. The disk having no cutting edges, the valve reniains true. By having a valve-steni guiding surface which starts true and can readily be replaced, the valves are carried true to the seat.

Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent iszl. In apiano layer, the combination with a pneumatic be lows motor and its controlling valves, ot' centrally oriiiced disks, one

face of each disk forming a flat seat for its .orrespondinor valve, liangcs projecting upward from the opposite face of each disk around its orifice and around its outer edge, each disk having openings through said disk for securing said disk in osition.,

2. In a piano layer, tA e combination With a pneumatic bellows motor and its controlling valves, of seats for said valves, comprising s. disk having a central orifice, the outer and inner edges of said disk being bent to torni anges, and a sector inserted between said flanges and concentric therewith, said sector having an offset portion having a bearing lor the valve-stem.

3. For a piano player, a centrally orificed disk one face ot which forms a ilat seat for a valve, flanges projecting upward from the opposite face of said disk around its orifice and around its outer edge, and openings through said disk for securing said disk in position.

4. A valve-seat and valve-stem guide for a piano player, comprising a disk having a central orifice, the outer and inner edges ot' said disk being bent to forni flanges around said disk, and a separate sector inserted between said flanges and concentric therewith, said sector having an oilset portion having a bear- 

